Jones camp rips De La Rosa!

The management of undefeated Philadelphia welterweight Mike Jones read with amusement comments made by James De La Rosa, of Benito, TX, on Fightnews.com that De La Rosa, also unbeaten, was willing to fight any welterweight around. In a prepared statement, Jones’ managers Doc Nowicki and Jim Williams, along with trainer Vaughn Jackson, had this to say about De La Rosa: “Twice we tried to get James De La Rosa into the ring and twice De La Rosa’s people turned us down. The first time occurred last September, just weeks after Jones knocked out Juliano Ramos for the NABA title. We got a call that De La Rosa had an Oct. 3 ShoBox date and was looking for an opponent. We got in touch with the matchmaker, but he told us there was no way De La Rosa would fight Jones. Instead, De La Rosa fought Tim Coleman, who had scored three knockouts in 15 fights.

“The second time occurred this year when De La Rosa was set for another ShoBox date on March 6, again without an opponent. Gordon Hall, of ShoBox, tried to make the match, but once again, De La Rosa, through his promoter, refused. This time, ShoBox scrapped the date altogether an d decided to go March 13 with Lucien Bute and Fulgencio Zuniga in Canada.

“It seems perhaps that De La Rosa is willing to fight any welterweight except Mike Jones.”

Jones’ people added that if De La Rosa changes his mind and would like to fight Jones, he can contact Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., and make the match.